Process of and apparatus for concentrating or cleaning coal



GONCENTRATING OR CLEANING COAL 2 Sheets$heei Filed May 5; 1922 I m1 I. jezslr venfor 0' @M m M l ftorne mHQ G R AFR r w r rllll. LI I l -"H av 9% M a m 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rTf-" Fly. 5

E. DEISTER PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR GONGENTRATING OR CLEANING COAL Filed May 5, 1922 Aug. 4, 1925.

4711; may Z lnvenlbr 7 WWQWALU ttorne Patented Aug; 4, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oer-ice.

EMIL DEISTER, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

Application filed May 3,

To all whom it may concern: Be it knownthat I, EMIL D'ars'rnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort \Vayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus cated table is used upon which the Stratification of the materials according to their specific gravity is accomplished by an air cushion.

Heretofore, dry concentration, has been practiced on a table having its concentratin surface formed of pervious material, suc as silk, through which air under pressure is forced in an upward direction. This current of air floats the particles of the material fed to the table, the; heavier particles tend to settle to the previous surface under the influence of the reciprocating motion of the table. To aid in the retention of the stratification of the materials thus obtained ritlle cleats have been applied on the pervious sur- -face which extend from the head or motion end of the table toward the opposite end.

.The particles caught by the rifiie cleats under the influence of the reciprocating movement of the table are advanced forwardly,

' and since the cleats are tapered'longitudinally the lighter particles caught by the cleats are .gradually eliminated from the channels formed bythe cleats. Such a process for its successful operation requires that tlie material shall be very closely sized previous to concentration which is obj ectionable because it is very expensive and requires much power and floor space.

In an attempt to obviate the close sizing of the material referred to longitudinal impervious channels'have been formed on the pervious surface of the table so that a pervious section lies between each two impervious channels. The air is blown upwardly throu h the pervious sections as before and the heavier particles of material closest to the pervious sections drop into the 1922. Serial No. 558,220.

impervious channels in which they advance forwardly under the influence of the reciprocating movement of the table. The channels' decrease in depth" gradually from the head end of the table toward the opposite end so that as the caught materials advance forwardly therein the finer particles settle to the bottom of the channels and crowd the coarser and lighter particles out over the top of the same. Furthermore, the tiny air passages in the pervious surface readily become choked or clogged with dirt and the rubbing or sliding action of the-material on the fabric soon wears out the latter. Alsot-he directly vertical or straight upward air currents lift the finer particles constantly and thereby prevent perfect Stratification of the materials. Hence this process is not entirely practicable, especially in the cleaning of coal for the production ofmetallurgical coke.

It is well known that cokingicoal that does not require cleaning is rapidly being ex- 'hausted; but there are large supplies of low grade coking coal whichrequire cleaning'bf its refuse before it can be converted into" coking ovens and thereby avoid dryin of the same by costly natural or arti cial means, it being essential where -the wet method is used for the cleaning of coal to dry the cleaned coal before placing it in the coking ovens. In cleaning this low grade coal bythe dry method it is essential that the machine shall be efficient and shall have large capacity and shall require in its operation a minimum of air under ressure and a minimumlof floor space, an since close sizing of the coal is costly it is also desirable that such sizing shall be eliminated as much as possible.

The object of my invention is to rovide a method of dry concentration an apparatus embodying the same by which com- In the following description of the invention I shall refer to it as applied to the cleaning of coal, it being understood that of my preferred form of apparatus for carby such reference I d the. invention to the cleaning of coal but to include herein the concentration of all materials for which the invention may be adapted.

I have found that by providing adifferentially reciprocating table having the form of a trough or channel, the concentrating 1 surface of which is preferably V-shaped transversely or sloped upwardly laterally in opposite directions, the channel extending substantially the length of the table, with an impervious covering and introducing' air under pressure into the bed of ingsurface and directed toward the middle.

of the channel, the draft of air notonly do not intend to limit -rying out the invention; Fig. 2 a side elevational view of the same; Fig. 3 an end view of the table Fig. 4 a cross-sectional view on line i -4' of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 a, cross-sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 an enlarged fractional view of the deck illustrating the air discharging means; Fig. 7 a plan view of theforward or discharge end of thetable; Fig. 8 an end view of the latter; Fig. 9 -a plan view of the covering .floats the li hter material or coal but also tends to assist the heavier material toward channel thelatter material is advanced toward the refuse discharge end of the table and Fig. 10 an elevational'view of the same.

In the drawings 10 indicate suitable foun-. dations or pedestals upon which the driving mechanism .11 and the table are supported. The driving mechanism is suitably connected to the table 12 and a coiled spring 13 connected to the' table and adjustably mounted in a bracket 14 opposes-the reciprocation of the table in one direction and alsoplacestheproper tension thereon. The tableis suitably mounted for reciprocation bytheisliding supports 15, as shown in Fig. 3. The supports foriii no part of-my pres- [ent invention. The driving mechanism 11 under the in'fluence of the reciprocating motion of the table. The waste matter or refuse in co al. generally has a greater specific gravity than the coal hence the waste' settles to the bottom. of the channel and the coalstratifies above it since the draft of air as introduced first meets the heavier fparticles adjacent to the sloping concentrating'surface of the channel without lifting them into the upper strata, and then curves and filters up t rough the bed of material causing the lighter particles to float and at 40 the same time it drives and assists the heavier articles toward the middle portion of the c annel.

By constricting the channel laterally toward the upper discharge end of the table and also adually decreasing it in depth toward sald end the heavier particles, or waste, are required to climb the slope of the channel lon 'tudihally toward the discharge end of t e table and to crowd the coal or lighter particle's toward the sides of 0 the channel over which they pass, the

heavier particles or waste passing off at the up or end of the channel.

'ntroduction of the air under ressure to the concentratin surface 0 th .channel in the manner escribed above is most important to the process and causes a complete "separation of the waste material from the lighter material or coal in strata.

There is, therefore, no pervious covering on the table yet air under ressure is introduced efiectively and distrlbuted all over its .concentrati'ri surface and the stratification of the material in the channel is maintained e drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view "throu hout its len h. 11151 gt ma be any suitable mechanism which will di erentially reciprocate the table, that shown in theprevious Patent No. 1,088,682, being well adapted for my present purpose.

The table, comprises-the bottom member 17, twoside members 18, the central longitudinal stringer 19, the lateral upwardly 1nclined stringers 20 secured to the side members and to the stringer 19 and the bottom members 21 of the channel or trough 22 which are secured in suitable manner to the frame work thus formed, the said members 21 forming asubstantially .V-shaped bottom or floor. The side "members 18 gradually approach each other toward the dis- Henco the channel or trough is constricted both laterally and vertically from the head or motion end of the table toward the opposite end thereof.

A guard 23 projects above the upper edge of the side members 18 and the end member channel or trough 22 forms an air tight box,

the bottom member 17 being apertured at means of the valves 29 the quantity ofv air which shall enter the several compartments is controlled as conditions may require.

Preferably the bottom members 22 are formed of suitable strips of wood 35, preferably laid parallel to the side walls 18,

and they are spaced transversely to form the slots 36 extending longitudinally of the channel.

On top of the wooden strips 35 are place a series of overlappin strips 37 of suitable material, such as rub r, having its lower surface provided with fine transverse cor-- rugations 38, the smooth side of the strips 37 being on top and forming the concentrating surface of the channel 22. The fine corrugations 38 therefore form small chair nels or jets 39 between the overlapping strips 37 which communicate with the slots 36 and open at their outer ends into the channel 22, the jets being substantially parallel to the concentrating surface of the channel. Hence the air discharging from the jets is introduced into the channel in a direction substantially parallel to the top surfaces of the corrugated strips which form the concentrating surface of the table, and

' also along the said surfaces, as shown in detail 1n F 1g. 6. The several corrugated strips are secured in position in suitable manner. as by the suitable thin strips 40, preferably of metal, through which and through the corrugated strips are passed suitable fastening means, such as nails, the

\ very refined control of the materials in the the .materials the frictional contact of the channel 22 adjacent to the discharge end of the table, it being apparent that by slightly releasing the pressure of the air on materials on the bottom of the channel is xincreased and hence under the infience of the reciprocation movement of the table they progress more rapidl toward the discharge 'end.. This is desira 1e where there is a large percentage of refuse at said end of the table.

At the discharge end of the table I. mount a gate or bucking plate 44, (Figs. 7 and 8 having a V-shaped slot or cut-out portion 45 therein. The ate is mounted, on the bolts 46 which pro ect through the slots 47 formed in the opposite sides of the gate and is secured in adjusted vertical position by the wing nuts 48. By adjusting the vertical position of the gate the materials advancing toward the discharge end may beheld back more or less in order to increase the depth of the bed of material at said end and crowd the coal successfully over the sides of the table, as conditions may require.

At suitable points upon the upper edge of 85 the opposite slde'boards of the channel 22, I pivot a number of gates 49 which when open as shown in the drawings cut out-more or less of the clean coal as required and direct the same ed the table, and if there is a large percentage of refuse at said end of the channel the gates will be closed in -order that the refuse shall pass off the table diverter comprises the blades 50' arranged at a suitable angle to the longitudinal axis of the table and secured to a' bar 51 secured to a bolt 52 extending through a cross member 53 supported on the foundation 10, by the standards 54. By rotating the nuts 54' on the bolt in proper direction, the diverters may be raised or lowered as desired. Any suitable means for adjustably supporting the diverters will sufiice for my purpose.

Preferably, the concentrating surface of the channel, adjacent to the feed end is level longitudinally in order to increase the capacity of the table and to advance the material rapidly to the point approximately where the coal begins to discharge over the sides of the channel from which point the said surface is inclined upwardly toward the discharge end B. v

Anysuitable gaseous medium for stratifying the materials will suffice. I

In operation, the coal and refuse mixture in a crushed state is continuously fed into the deeper and wider end portion of the channel adjacent to the head or motion end A of the table. reciprocated by the driving mechanism and air or other gaseous medium is forced into the air box from which it is projected in the The table is differentially form of lateral jets into the channel 22. The mixture drops by gravity toward the bottom of the channel and encounters the air currents, the heavier materials settling to the said bottom and gradually building up in depth without being lifted by the air currents and the lighter materials being floated by the air currents and stratified. The motion' of the table impels the -materials up the-channel toward the discharge end. B thereof. Since the channel is restricted or tapered both tfansversely and longitudinally the clean coal being the upper strata of material passes over the upper side edges of the channel as the bed of materials is crowded into the progressivelyrestricted channel. The diverters direct all clean coal travelling forward in the middle of the channel toward the upper side edges 7 of the channel, the dischargeof the refuse being controlled by theadjus'table end gate and the pressure-' and quantity of the air being controlled by the several valves a conditions may require.

What I claim is: h

1. In a concentrating and separating table having its top surface inclined both longitlidinally and transversely, means to reciprocate the table longitudinally, means under the surface of'the table to form a plurality of transverse fine air channels adapted to proi'ect jets of a gaseous medium substantial y parallel to and across said surface and means to supply air under pressure to said channels.

2. In a concentrating and separating table having its to surfaceinclined both longitudinall an transversely, means to reciprocate t e table longitudinally, a plurality of transversely corrugated strips extending from end to end of the table and forming transverse air channels on said surface and means to supply air under pressure to said channels. v

3. In a concentrating and separating-table having its top surface inclined both longitudinally andtransversely, means to reap rocate t covering said surface and adapted to form transverse air channels thereon, and means to supply air under pressure to said channels.

4. A concentrating and separating table having a longitudinally disposed channel means to introducea gaseous medium later-' ally into the channel and means to reciprocate the table.

e table longitudinally, a plurality of overlapped transversely corrugated strips extendmgfrom end to end of the table and 5- A concentrating andseparating table having a longitudinally disposed channel adapted to retain material, a plurality of longitudinally disposed transversely corrugated strips of material on the bottom of 6. A concentrating and separating table having a longitudinally disposed channel adapted to retain material, a plurality of overlapped longitudinally disposed transversely corrugated strips of material on the bottom of the channel. and forming the concentrating surface thereof, the spaces between the corrugation forming a plurality of channels substantially parallel to said surface, means to su ply a ressure of gaseous medium to the atter c annels.

,7. In a concentrating and se arating table the combination of a troughike structure having its bottom formed of oppositely inclined members relatively to the transverse axis-of the table and also inclined upwardly from the head end of the table toward the opposite end thereof, the sides of the trough also inclining toward each other from the said head endvto. the said opposite end of the table, a covering on the said bottom formed of a plurality of transversely corrugated strips of material longitudinally disposed on said bottom, the said stripsbeing overlap d to form between them'a plurality of air 0 annels, means to supply a pressure of air to said channels and means to reciprocate the table.

8. In a concentratin and separating table the combination of a eck having a troughrs longitudi- 1 like channel therein which ta nally and transversely from t e head end of the table toward the opposite end thereof, the bottom of the channel bein V-shaped transversely, a concentrating sur ace onsaid bottom formed by a plurality of overlapped, transversely corrugated stri s of material disposed on said bottom, t e said strips forming betweenthem a series of air channels, means to supply a pressure of air to the latter channels, means to selectively control the said sup ly of air, and means to reciprocate the ta 1e.

9. In a concentrating and .separating table, the combination of a deck having a channel adapted to retain material, means to introduce a gaseous medium laterally into the materialfor stratifying the same, means to reciprocatethe table, for advancin the material toward the discharge end 0 the table, means at the discharge end of the table for controlling the discharge of the p heavier materials and means to control the direction of movement of the upper Strata of material. I

10. In a concentrating and separating table, the combination of a deck' having a longitudinally disposed channel adapted to retain material, the bottom of the channel having a concentrating surface formed of. a series of overlapped, strips of material, the said strips form ing between them a series of air chan-' nels having communication with the main channel, means having communication with the air channels for supplying thereto a pressure of air, means to selectively control the said supply, means at the discharge end of the channel for controlling the discharge of the heavier materials, means to control the direction of movement of the lighter material and means to reciprocate the table.

11. In a concentrating and separating corrugated table, the combination of a deck having a longitudinally disposed channel adapted to retain material, and being tapered both 1011- gitudinally and laterally from the head end of the table toward the discharge end of the same, a covering on the bottom of the said channel formed of a series of corrugated strips of material overlapped and forming between them a series of air channels having. communication with the main channel, means having connection with the air channels for supplying selectively a pressure of air for stratifying the materials in the main channel, means to reciprocate the table, means to regulate the discharge of the heavier materials at the discharge end of the channel and means to control the discharge of the lighter materials.

In witness 'whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 1st day of May, 1922.

' I EMIL DEISTER. 

